


Pokémon: Darkened Platinum

by A_Bluejay_Named_Cas



Series: The Nuzlocke Universe [1]
Category: Pokemon - Fandom
Genre: Nuzlocke Challenge, Pokemon Platinum Version
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:33:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26732905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Bluejay_Named_Cas/pseuds/A_Bluejay_Named_Cas
Summary: We all know and love Pokémon. Almost everyone has played at least on of the games and have created a bond or two with these creatures. However what if there was a darker twist in these games? Meet Zorala. An only child from Twinleaf Town who doesn't know it yet, but is about to go on the journey of a lifetime that he might not survive. Existing in an alternate universe from the regular Pokémon Platinum one, he lives in a darker world where the wilds are never safe, even for your trusty Pokémon, as you could and most likely would die. Making connections with these creatures are necessary for defense but brutal for when they get hurt or you lose them. Some might wonder what God could create this or if this is really hell. Find out if Zorala lives a good life here or if he dies going down a path he has no control over.
Series: The Nuzlocke Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1945663
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. Our Adventure Begins.

I awoke in a dark room. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breath, but yet somehow, I felt at peace. Then suddenly, a bright light shone in front of me and I saw a man, his beard and hair white. He looked at first under twenty years old, but then almost instantly, aged before my eyes, until he looked more than fifty years older. He looked at me with a smile before opening his mouth to speak.

“What is your gender my child? Your name?” He asked, his voice didn’t at all fit the way the male looked though oddly, sounded very familiar. “Speak my child.”

“I’m male. Zorala.” I said, shocking myself. I didn’t even realize what I was saying, like I had no control. I tried to speak more but no more words were allowed to escape my throat.

“Hmmm. A very nice name indeed. How unfortunate for you to deal with this reality.” The male said before turning away. I wanted to ask for his name but again no words would come out. “Soon you shall wake up. I wish you the best in such a horrific reality. It’s my fault you are there.” He says softly before vanishing.

I wake up in my room, vaguely remembering the dream. I groan and crawl out of bed, brushing away my black hair from my face. I walk to my closet, pulling out my outfit for the day, turning on the T.V. to listen to something in the background. I look at my closet with my green orbs, trying to pick something different than usual. I put on a red hat before grabbing a blue coat, white tee-shirt, and a simple pair of jeans. I glance over at the T.V. as I get dressed, causing confusion to paint my face. Displayed on the screen is an old man, Professor Rowan, looking extremely familiar. “Wasn’t he the man in my dream?” I ask no one in particular. Just as I button up my pants I hear my door. There before me is my best friend, Edioutt. 

“There you are! Hey, Zorala!” Edioutt shouted, never taking a breath. I open my mouth to reply but he just keeps on talking. “Did you just see the T.V.?” he asks before spotting the T.V. He smiles and doesn’t allow me to speak once more. “Sure you did! Professor Rowan's that really important guy who studies Pokémon, right?”

“Who is Professor-” I start before Edioutt continues. 

“That means he must have lots and lots of Pokémon. So, if we ask him, I bet he'd give us some Pokémon!” He shouts out before running around my room excitedly. He runs straight into my desk causing me to chuckle. “Oh, hey! Is this a new PC?!” He asks, his face inches away from the screen before he turns to look at me. “Uh... Where was I?” He asks me softly, not even taking a breath before he continues. “Oh, right, right! We're going to go see Prof. Rowan and get some Pokémon. I'll be waiting outside. OK, Zorala?” he says before running out my bedroom door. He pops his head back in quickly. “If you're late, I'm fining you 10 million pokédollars!" He says before slamming my door shut. I stare dumbfoundly at the door, trying to digest what just happened.

“I.. Um... ” I say before laughing, slipping on socks before heading downstairs. “That idiot has too much energy.” I say softly before landing on the bottom of the stairs. My mother notices me and immediately rushes over. “Morning mom.” I say with a smile as I hug her. She looks at me and nods.

“Good morning to you too. Did you see Edioutt? He was here a moment ago. He came rushing in and out. I don’t know what it was about, but he was in a hurry.” She said softly, her black hair pushed up into a bun.

“Neither did I.” I say walking to the kitchen, my mother muting the T.V. before sitting down. “He ran in and out. He is energetic for sure.” I say, grabbing a granola bar from the cupboard, feeling a little nauseous for some reason. “I think he wants to go hang out.” I say softly before walking by and kissing her head softly. “Love you mom.”

“Love you too. Remember not to go into the tall grass. It’s dangerous. Wild pokémon might attack you.” She says sternly. “You could get killed without one. Your father….”

“I know, I know...” I reply before walking out the door, quickly slipping on shoes. Feeling bad. My mother nods and turns on the T.V., I assumed she did to distract herself from her own thoughts. 

“Take care.” I hear before I close the door, looking out at the small town of Twinleaf, patches of snow still on the ground from the snowstorm the previous night. I walk down the dirt road, waving to two kids playing a game of tag as I head towards Edioutt’s house. Before I can knock on the door, Edioutt bursts through the door.

“What was that about?! Oh, hey, Zorala! Hey! I'm going to the lake! You come too! And be quick about it! OK, Zorala? I'm fining you one million pokédollars if you're late! Oh, jeez! Forgot something!" He says rushing back inside. I think for a moment about how he is not dead from oxygen deprivation before heading inside following him. As I follow his trail of dust to his room, I see his mother staring outside the window, probably tired from working nights while her husband worked days. I heard her sigh softly, deciding not to bug her. I head up stairs before knocking on Edioutt’s door, stepping inside.  
“...I'd better take my Bag and Journal, too…” I cough to get his attention “Oh, hey, Zorala! We're going to the lake! I'll be waiting on the road! It's a ten 10 million pokédollar fine if you're late!” he says before pushing me aside to leave. 

“How does he count things...” I wonder out loud before following. As soon as I get outside Edioutt’s house, he is gone. Assuming he left the town, I head in that direction. As I approach the only entrance to the town, I see Phil, the town guard standing there with his two pokémon, Noctowl and Heracross beside him. “Hey did you see Edioutt?” I ask softly.

“Yeah he ran by. Make sure he doesn’t die.” Phil replies with a laugh as Noctowl takes off, most likely spotting a wild pokémon nearby and killing it so it doesn’t enter the town. 

“Okay I will.” I say with a smile, passing by.

“Be safe.” He says back, Noctowl returning with blood covering his claws. 

I walk up and see Edioutt waiting for me outside the tall grass. I peak inside and can hear the noises of the wild pokémon. I spot a sign before the tall grass and read it quickly. “Remember. Catch only one pokémon per area. Fineable starting at 2.2 million pokedollars if caught.” I read out loud. Edioutt stands before the tall grass and grabs my arm.

“Ugh you were too slow Zorala!” he says to me, his blue eyes filled with insanity. “Let's get moving to Prof. Rowan's lab.” He says trying to pull me in. I push back and shake my head. “What? Don't go into the grass, right?” He says with a groan.

“Yeah I don’t want to die” I say, shaking my head. Edioutt laughs out, making me confused. “No worries! No problem! It doesn't matter that we don't have any Pokémon. Trust me on this one. I've got an idea!” I look at him skeptically as he explains. “Now listen. You know how wild Pokémon jump out when you go into tall grass? So, what you do is, you scoot over to the next patch of grass before any wild Pokémon can appear! If we just keep dashing, we can get to Sandgem Town without running into wild Pokémon!” 

“That’s dumb…” I reply, but he doesn’t listen, grabbing my arm again.

“OK, stick with me! OK, here goes! On your marks..." He says before running, pulling me into the tall grass, just as we step one foot inside we hear a deep voice shout.

“HOLD IT!” The voice says, causing us to freeze. We turn and see an old man walking towards us, looking extremely familiar. “You two don’t seem to have any Pokémon between you? Then what is the meaning of you two going into the tall grass. Are you suicidal?”

"Hey, Zorala. This old guy... It's Prof. Rowan, isn't it? What's he doing here...?" Edioutt says, turned to me. I groan and shake my head.

“Sorry for my friend. He is… Eccentric. We were actually going to see you Professor. Edioutt wanted a Pokémon and I wouldn’t mind one either...” I say, realizing how ridiculous this sounds.

“They tried to go into the tall grass because they wanted a Pokémon…” Rowan said to himself, turning away from us. He looked like he was in deep thought, considering something. “Hmmm… What to do… Their world would change if they were to meet Pokémon… Is it right for me to put them on such a dangerous path...”

“If you don’t sir, you are leaving us defenceless in a dangerous world.” I said, adding to his thoughts. Rowan turned around and smiled, walking towards us. 

“Are you truly ready for such a responsibility?” He asks, looking at me and Edioutt with a twinge of excitement and fear in his eyes.  
“Yes.” I say quickly, shocked by the quickness of what I said.

“Me, too! I love Pokémon! I’m ready.” Edioutt said with confidence I have never seen before.

“Are you responsible enough?” Rowan asked once more, causing Edioutt to flush with anger.

“What?! You can ask a hundred times! The answer will never change! We'll both answer a hundred times, we love Pokémon! Right, Zorala?” He asks, causing me to nod, not even sure why I was agreeing.

“Two reckless people who foolishly try and enter the tall grass without pokémon of their own. It worries me what people like that would do with pokémon.” He says softly. I look down, feeling disappointment I would have never expected.

"...Uh... Well, I, uh…” Edioutt started, looking towards me. “Well, then forget about me, but give a Pokémon to my friend here! I mean, it was me who tried to pull him into the tall grass and all..."

“Well well how big of you.” Rowan says with surprise. “If you are willing to give up your chance for another I guess I can trust you two with a Pokémon.” He said with a smile, his grin matching my own.

"Really?!” Edioutt said with a bright smile. “I can't believe it! I'm so happy now that I can't keep a straight face! Hey, Zorala. You can choose first. Hey, I'm practically a grown-up. I have to show some class here." He said proudly, causing me to laugh. 

“Just promise me that you two will be careful. This is not a game. If your pokémon faints, you are going to die. Be safe, promise?” He says as we both nod enthusiastically. “Good… Now where is my...” 

“Professor!” I hear a feminine voice shout. A woman with blue hair walks over, carrying a briefcase. She is slender and has a pokéball attached to her belt. “You left your briefcase at the lake.” She says, placing it down beside the professor. 

“Ah thank you Dawn.” He says, opening the briefcase, displaying, among paperwork, three pokéballs. “Now. Please take one.” he says with a smile. Dawn looks at him with shock.

“Sir are you sure?” Dawn asks, her eyes wide. “Those pokémon are hard to replace.” The professor nods.

“Yes I am sure. Please take one.” He says, motioning to me. I walk over and pick up the one on the left, looking at it. “Ah. You want the grass pokémon Turtwig?” He asks softly. I smile and nod, hugging the ball close.

"Then, I choose you! I'm picking this Chimchar.” Edioutt says picking up the fire type.

“Very well then. Both of you have picked good pokémon it seems. Now listen well.” He says, closing the briefcase and picking it up. “Those pokémon will keep you safe. Treat them with kindness.” He says before starting to walk away. “See me in Sandgem town if you have any problems.” He says before leaving.

“Wait for me!” Dawn says before running after the Professor.

“How do you like that? Prof. Rowan's really nice. On TV, he seems so stern and scary.” He says before turning to me, holding his pokéball. “Zorala! We've both got Pokémon now. There's only one thing to do, right? Are you up for this?"

“Up for what?” I ask, confused.

“"I've always wanted to say this... The time has finally come! Zorala! I challenge you to a battle!" He says before throwing his pokéball, making Chimchar appear. I throw mine and make Turtwig appear.

“I don’t want to do this...” I say softly, looking with worry.

“Chimchar use scratch!” He said, making the creature attack Turtwig. The turtle pokémon yelped in pain making me feel angry.

“Fine! Turtwig tackle!” I shout, making Turtwig tackle the Chimchar.

“What in the...?! That one hurt, you!” Edioutt said. The battle continues, making both creatures hurt. 

“Maybe we should stop...” I say, leaning down and petting Turtwig, the small creature making a happy noise and nuzzling the hand.

“No way! We can keep going! This is where we hit our stride!” Edioutt replies. I nod and make Turtwig tackle one more time causing the Chimchar to fall back, not getting up again. I could see blood begin to puddle beside the head. I can feel my face turn pail as I bend over, hurling on the ground from the sight.

“What are you saying?! We ended up losing?!” Edioutt said with anger and fear, a slight shake in his voice, worrying for his pokémon. He quickly pulled out a bandage from his pocket and rushed to Chimchar, wrapping it around his head and checking on it's vitals. Turtwig walked over to me and looked at me, noticing my paleness. He moves to my side and nuzzles it, trying to cheer me up. 

“I’m okay...” I say picking up Turtwig and placing him in my lap. The small pokémon chirping happily, happy it's trainer is okay. “Is.. is Chimchar okay...” I ask, looking for the small creature hidden from sight due to Edioutt's form. The male nods and turns, showing the injured Chimchar breathing shallowly. 

“Yeah… I didn’t think… We should probably rest...” He says worriedly before rushing home. I do the same, heading into my house. Guilt filling my gut as I walk. I gulp as i open the door to my home, looking at my mom.

“I.. Mom.. I got a friend...” I say looking towards Turtwig who looked back at me with a questioning look. My mom looked towards me and her face paled, looking around frantically for a weapon. “Mom it’s okay he is friendly.” I say, my mother sighing with relief. 

“What happened?” She asked, patting the seat beside her. I sat down and discussed what had happened, discussing the details from leaving the house all the way to the end of my battle with Edioutt, Turtwig laying between us as I talked. “Wow.” She said after I finished. “That’s what happened to you? You and Edioutt are lucky to have met that Professor. Image if you didn’t...” My mom said, tearing up. Seeing this, I rub her back and pull her into a hug while Turtwig nuzzled her side. “I wouldn’t like to think what the wild pokémon might have done to you. I couldn’t live through that again...”

“I know mom but now I have Turtwig and we will be safe.” I said, causing her to nod, wiping tears from her face. 

“Zorala, go see that professor and thank him properly for your pokémon… What was his name again”. She asked softly, petting the pokémon’s side. Turtwig chirped happily and nuzzled it.

“He is a turtwig though I haven’t named him yet...” I said softly, scratching the Turtwig’s back. He chirped happily and looked back at me.

“Well you should go to bed. Go see Professor Rowan in the morning. His lab is in Sandgem town yes?” My mom asked, bringing me to nod. Turtwig jumped into my lap and jumped up a bit, wanting to be held. “Now that you have your own pokémon, you should be safe to go into the tall grass. Won’t be as threatening.” She said with a smile. I stood up, holding Turtwig and nodding. 

“Night mom.” I say with a smile, kissing her head and heading up to bed. After prepping for the night, I look at the small pokémon sleeping on the bed. As soon as I crawl in, he sits up and moves closer, nuzzling my side. “You do need a name… How about twiggy?” I ask, turtwig looking away. “Okay how about Carl? Seeding? Atlas?” As the Pokémon hears Atlas, he turns and licks my face causing me to laugh. “Okay Atlas it is. Goodnight Atlas.” I say petting the newly named Turtwig. Atlas chirped and nuzzled in, falling asleep as I did.


	2. Welcome To Sandgem Town

I awoke the next morning with a wet face. I opened my eyes and smiled, seeing Atlas licking my face. I pick him up, making him chirp happily. “Good morning Atlas. Did you sleep well?” I ask the small creature. Atlas nods and squirms in my arms, nuzzling in. “I will take that as a yes.” I say with a soft giggle, putting him down and making my bed quickly. “You sure are affectionate.” I say, walking to my closet and changing once again. As I prepped for the morning, Atlas followed behind, most of the time nuzzling my legs. “You are silly.” I say with a laugh, picking up the Pokémon and walking down the stairs. 

“Good morning you two.” My mom says, handing me two wrapped sandwiches and two pieces of toast. “Eat fast. Edioutt was just here waiting for you. That boy sure is impatient.” I nod in understanding, handing Atlas his toast which he nibbled at happily. I ate my toast and gave my mother a quick goodbye, walking out the door. I place Atlas down and run to the town entrance, seeing Paul guarding the gate once again, cleaning blood off of Noctowl’s talons.

“Ah I see you have yourself a friend there.” He says with a smile. I nod and stop for a moment to talk. “You give him a name or are you just sticking with Turtwig?” He asks, Noctowl eyeing the smaller pokémon. Atlas hid behind my legs, scared of the taller pokémon.

“Yeah I named him Atlas. He seemed to like the name.” I said with a smile, looking for Heracross. “Where is your other pokémon?” I ask, causing Paul’s smile to vanish.

“He is um… taking the day off. A bidoof came and… well he lost a lot of blood and the doctors say…” Paul pauses, taking a moment to calm himself before continuing. “I knew he was too young to start guarding...” He said softly, his Noctowl nuzzling his side trying to comfort him. “It’s okay it’s just.. Be careful out there okay?” He asks, his smile returning. I could see the tear in his eye, knowing he was holding back something but I decided it was best to avoid the topic.

“I will.” I say before walking out of town, feeling guilt for bringing up the missing pokémon. I could see in my peripheral vision the tears sliding down the man's pale face. I walk towards the tall grass, smiling as I see Edioutt standing before it. “Well hello there.” I say, bringing his attention to myself. 

“Too slow! Zorala, I'm sick of waiting! Let's go see Prof. Rowan, so I can thank him properly.” He says, his chimchar in his arms. I feel like shit when I notice the scar on his head. “Don’t worry. It happens…” Edioutt says. Noticing my stare. “So, I had this great idea. Listen up, OK? You know the lake where we always used to play at? They say a legendary Pokémon lives there.”

“Okay and what?” I ask, trying to follow his train of thought.

“You guessed it! Let's catch that Pokémon. That'll make Prof. Rowan happy. I'm sure of that! Me and you together, we've got nothing to fear!" Edioutt says, pulling my arm to the lake.

“I don’t know if this is such a good Idea..” I say softly, looking at the entrance to the lake.

"It’s fine! We're at the lake! Get ready, because we're capturing that legendary Pokémon. Trust me on this one. It's here. It even says so on the sign!" I open my mouth to speak but yelp instead as I am pulled into the lakeshore, Atlas following behind with Chimchar. 

“Wait we don’t have-”I stop mid-sentence, noticing a man with bright cyan hair before us,  
staring across the lake. I look over to Edioutt, seeing him freeze as well. It was probably for the first time in his life.

“What's going on...?” Edioutt asks, taking notice of the strange male.

“The flowing time…. Expanding space…” The man said out loud, his thoughts probably getting the better of him. “Listen to me, guardian of the lake. My name is Cyrus. I will claim this world. I will create… ” He looks out on the lake, watching the waves for a moment. “I will make it a better world.” Cyrus said before turning around. “Until that day, go ahead and sleep.” He says before walking right towards us. “Excuse me…” he says softly. I step out of the way but Edioutt just stands there. 

“What was that about? Weird guy…” Edioutt says, staring at the shrinking outline of the man known as Cyrus. “Oh well. Hey, Zorala! Let's catch that legendary Pokémon!" I opened my mouth to ask how we will catch it when we hear the shrill noise of a creature. "Did you hear that, Zorala?!” He asks excitedly. 

“I.. What was that?” I ask, looking for the source of the noise. 

“That was the legendary Pokémon crying! That had to be it! OK! This is our chance! Let’s catch it!” He pats his pocket before paling. “Wait! What...?! We don’t have anything on us! You know, Poké Balls! P-O-K-accent-E Balls! If we don't have those, we can't catch Pokémon or take them around with us! ...Do you think Prof. Rowan would give us some if we asked him? You know, you remember what he said, don't you? He said to visit him at his lab if we needed anything. OK, Zorala! I'll race you! First one to the professor's lab in Sandgem Town rules!" He says, running off, chimchar keeping up with him as the duo vanish. I look to Atlas who is watching them leave.

“Same energy level huh?” I ask, Atlas turning to me and chirping. “Alright let’s head to Sandgem.” I say as the two of us begin our journey back to the tall grass. As I stand before it, I feel a lump in my throat. “Y-you ready buddy?” I ask, leaning down and petting Atlas. I heard the small Pokémon chirp happily, bringing a smile to my face. I watched Atlas push the back of my legs, encouraging me to cross. “Okay.” I say softly, stepping in.

The two of us walked for a while for the first pokémon to cross our path. It looked at me and growled causing my face to pale. I had already heard from Paul the dangers even a small pokémon like Bidoof could do. Atlas ran in front and tackled the Bidoof hard causing it to yelp in pain, turning and tackling it back. Atlas brushed the tackle off like it was nothing, looking back to me looking for praise. 

“Keep going bud you got this!” I said with a smile. I could see the Bidoof bleeding from the head, its growl deepening. “Use tackle again.” I say, wishing I could help more. Atlas nodded and tackled the Bidoof hard, bashing the creature's skull open. Atlas smiled and ran over, his small face covered in blood. I took out a tissue and wiped the blood off Atlas, looking at the dead Bidoof before me. It’s face now covered in A few Starley’s flew down and began picking at the dead body, one in particular looking over with curiosity. It walked towards us causing me to gulp. I decided it was best to keep walking. As me and Atlas walked, I realized that the small bird pokémon was following behind. It wasn’t attacking me so I decided to let it be. As Sandgem town began to appear on the horizon, I noticed a woman standing in the tall grass, an oddish hopping happily beside her. I walked over curiously and she smiled. 

“Excuse me sir, would you like a free sample of the potions found in Sandgem Town?” The woman asked. I nodded and picked up Turtwig. The woman bent down to her Oddish, grabbing a small package from behind the creature’s head where a small bag was attached to it. “Please enjoy. Also, please visit our shop in town. We don’t have many visitors so any help would be appreciated.” She said with a smile, bowing in respect.

“I will be sure to visit. Thank you very much.” I say smiling as I accept the potions with a smile. I see behind me the Starly from before staring with interest. I turn to face it but instead it flies back a bit, being wary. I sigh and shake my head, walking into Sandgem town. As I enter the town, I spot Dawn standing near the largest building in town. “Hey. It’s Dawn right?” I yell as I walk over. The girl turns and nods, her long blue hair moving over her shoulder as she turns. Meanwhile I noticed the Starly from before in a tree nearby, watching me curiously. 

“Good to see you remember me.” She said with a smile, breaking me from my focus on the Starly. “It’s Zorala correct?” She asks back, tilting her face slightly, displaying visible curiosity. I nod. “Well I’m guessing you want to see the Professor. He asked me to wait for you.” She said, walking to the big building's door. I followed close behind her, curious to see the interior of the dark wooden building. “Please. Follow me to the professor's lab.” She said getting ready to open the door. As she did, the door flew open and pushed Dawn and myself onto the ground. Edioutt stepped out of the door with a massive grin on his face. He looked down at me and shook his head.

“What the…” Edioutt asks before looking down and seeing Dawn and myself. “Oh, it's you, Zorala! And um… Dell…” He says awkwardly, failing at remembering the young girl's name. “That old guy... He's not scary so much as he is totally out there! Welp… 'i'm out of here. See you later!” He says before running off with a wave, dust in the air being the only proof he had been within eyesight. I groaned as I stood up, holding out my hand for Dawn.

“Sorry Dawn.” I say softly, helping her up when she grabs my hand. “He has been like this since he was a child.” I say as we walk into the lab. The interior shocked me as the front of the home looked normal, a few bookshelves, a reading nook, and a table covered in papers but as you passed a row of bookshelves, the whole interior changed. The wood suddenly switched to steel and the interior looked more like a lab. Filled with computers and filing cabinets. I could see two strange machines whirring beside me but decided to ignore it, having absolutely no idea what they were for. Before me stood Professor Rowan smiling. I walked up to him with Dawn, Atlas chirping happily and running to the Professor, nuzzling his leg. 

“Well, well, look who is here. Zorala was it? How is your pokémon?” He says looking down at Atlas. The pokémon chirped and ran around the Professor before running to me, jumping at my legs. 

“He is very affectionate.” I say, bending down and picking up the small creature. Atlas nuzzled into my arms.

"Hm… Interesting. Entrusting you with that Turtwig you’ve named Atlas was no mistake it seems. When I first saw you try to walk into that tall grass… I thought you were insane and suicidal. But now it seems as though you were meant to do so. For some reason, it seemed… Proper for you to do this. Like Arceus itself wanted you to go on this adventure…”

“Arceus?” I asked, looking at the professor with my head tilted. “Like the Legendary?”

“Not just any Legendary God Pokémon,” Dawn piped in. “The legendary God Pokémon who created everything. The one powerful enough to make the universe exist and is every type of pokémon at once….”

“Either way,” The professor continued, wanting to continue his point. “Atlas and you have seemed to be bonded strongly after such a short time. I feel privileged to have met you, and if I’m not mistaken, so is that Turtwig.” Atlas looked up at me and chirped in agreement.

“Anyway, there is something I want you to do for me Zorala.” Rowan stated, grabbing what looked to be a red rectangular device from his pocket. “Zorala, I want you to collect as much data as you possibly can about the creatures we know as pokémon using this pokédex.” He said, placing the device in my hands. I looked at it curiously before nodding. 

“I think I can do that for you professor. I wouldn’t mind giving Atlas some friends to hang out with.” I said, looking down at the Turtwig with a smile. The said pokémon was nuzzling my leg, laying down on the floor.

“Thank you Zorala. You might want to tell your mother you are doing this though. The wilds are dangerous and you should get approval from your parents.” He said, causing me to sigh. I knew he was right but I also knew the argument that would start due to this. I nodded and turned to leave. "Also make sure Edioutt's mother knows as well. He ran out before I could say anything!"

“I will do my best Professor. Wish me luck.” I said, existing the building and looking to the left, spotting a pokécentre and pokémart. “I could add a friend to the party… What do you think Atlas?” I asked, leaning down and picking up the small creature. Atlas simply chirped and licked my face causing me to laugh. “Might as well. I did promise that lady I would go.” I said before heading into the store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp… This took a while… This pandemic mixed with school left me with no free time. My professors threw me more schoolwork, assignments, and readings than normal so I had no time to play, mind you write this out. I’m also working on another story that may or may not exist in the future. Hopefully I can get another two chapters posted before I return to school in the new year. If you are reading, I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Again, if you see any mistakes, either spelling or grammar or something just doesn’t make sense, leave a comment. I’m happy to fix issues because I know it bugs me when I read stories when I notice them. I hope if you are reading you enjoy the twists I added. Please like and leave a comment! Thanks for reading!


	3. Backtracking down Route 201

I walked into the Pokémart and looked around the nearly empty store, the lone shopkeep behind the counter looked to be asleep and the only patreon of the store looked to be a kid reading comic books. 

“Um. Hello?” I said to the room, breaking the silence. The man behind the counter jumped a bit in shock before looking at me and Atlas.

“A customer?” The lone shopkeep said with shock. He stood up straight and dusted himself off before looking at me. ”Hello good sir. Welcome to Pokémart, part of the Poké-aid foundation. My name is Peter and I’ll be helping you today. How can I Poké-help you?” He asked, reading off of a sheet of paper poorly taped to the counter. Atlas sat by my legs as we spoke.

“I’m looking to buy pokéballs… Do you have to say that everytime?” I asked, stepping up to the counter. Peter the shopkeep nodded.

“Yeah. It’s not too bad. At least I don’t work in the city or at the department store in Veilstone.” He said with a chuckle. He reached down and pulled out a box filled with pokéballs, placing ten on the counter before also placing an odd looking pokéball among them. “You are lucky. We just started a sale today! Buy ten pokéballs and get a premier ball on the house!” He said, inputting the price total in the cash registar.

“Premier ball?” I ask, picking it up curiously. “What is special about it?” I ask, hoping for a cool answer. Peter shrugs and turns to me.

“To be honest they are discolored pokéballs. They look cool but are the same as the regular ones. But it’s free so you might as well take it.” Peter replies, making me sigh in disappointment. “Overall your total is twenty bucks.” He says, holding out his hand. I hand him the money and put the pokéballs away in my bag. “Our first purchase of the day. Please come again!” He says with a smile.

“Thank you so much!” I say walking out of the store and heading home. Atlas following behind happily. As I walked, I noticed the Starly from before waiting on a tree near Professor Rowan's lab. As soon as I step out of the town limits, it swoops down and lands on my shoulder causing me to yelp and jump a bit. Atlas gets ready to pounce on the creature when it suddenly begins to chirp happily, nuzzling my cheek. I gulp and look at it questioningly.

“You want to come with us?” I ask, a little spooked by the talons of the Starly. It tweets happily and nudges at my bag. I pull out the closest ball, the premier ball and hold it up to the bird. It pecks the button and gets sucked inside. It wobbles for a moment before sealing, signifying the creature giving in.  
“Guess we are no longer alone huh bud?” I asked the small Turtwig beside me, who chirped and nodded in reply, nuzzling my leg. I let out the Starly who flies in front of me before landing in front of Turwig, tweeting and watching carefully. Atlas does the same for a moment before Starly lands on Atlas’s back and tweets happily. I breathed out in relief, not even knowing my breath was being held. “I’m glad you two get along.” I said sitting down. “Now you need a name… Bandit?” I ask, causing the Starly to stop tweeting entirely. “No that doesn’t sound right to me either.” I say, looking up at the clouds. “How about Skye?” I ask the bird pokémon, causing her to tweet happily and fly onto my lap, nuzzling my leg. “Skye it is then.” I say, picking up Skye and placing her on my shoulder. “Alright let's go home.” I say, heading through the tall grass towards Twinleaf town. We ran into a few wild pokémon but together with Skye and Atlas, we easily took them down.

As we walked through the gates into my hometown, I noticed Paul standing guard with his two pokémon, Heracross sitting beside Paul who was tending to the bandages on the creature. I noticed the poor creature's horn bandaged excessively, making me think it snapped off. I walk over as Noctowl hoots, alerting Paul of my presence. 

“Oh I see we have another Pokémon with you.” He says, standing up and walking towards me, holding two berries in his hand. He bent down and gave one to Atlas who happily nibbled on it before standing and feeding Skye the other. “A turtwig and a Starly. You are starting to grow your team.” He said with a grin. I nodded, my eyes still glued to the hurt Heracross. Paul followed my gaze to his pokémon. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I feel lucky. He almost didn’t make it but luckily Noctowl is fast...” He said softly. “He should be better tomorrow.”

I look at him and nod before thinking for a moment. “Wait if both Noctowl and Heracross were gone, how did you protect the town?” I asked curiously. Paul pulled out a greatball from his pocket. “I have a third pokémon but he is still young so I don’t let her out much.” He said, releasing the mystery creature.

I looked at the glowing light as the small, fighting type pokémon Riolu came out. He looked around before looking up at Paul, jumping up into the trainers arms. “I found her egg a week ago and she hatched three days ago. She is a little young but man is she fast. She also has a mean punch.” He said, the Riolu climbing up Paul’s head.

I nodded and smiled at the Riolu, causing the pokémon to smile brightly. “Anyway, I should go talk to my Mom. I’m glad it all turned out okay though.” I said as I began to walk away.

“Good luck!” Paul said with a smile, walking back to Heracross, a worried look on his face. I walk to my house and enter, seeing my mom in the kitchen baking what looked to be muffins. Immediately I know she is worried. 

“Hi Mom. I’m alive don’t worry.” I say causing her to turn, putting down the tray of uncooked muffins. She ran over and hugged me causing Skye to fly off my shoulder and land on the couch, looking at the scenario curiously.

“How did you know I was worried?” She asked, holding my face as she stared at me.

“You always bake when you are worried. You always did it when Dad came home late.” I said, recalling my father as the room got silent.

“Right. Well I see you have another… Pokémon with you. I’m glad. The more you have the safer you will be. ” I nod, walking to the couch and sitting down, letting Skye and Atlas climb into my lap. 

"Yeah. I named her Skye. She landed on my shoulder and wanted to join." I said, causing my mom to look at me in shock. "I know. I wasn't expecting it either." I said as my mom came and sat beside me. As she did, I turned to her and give her a tight hug, resting my head on her shoulder. 

“Well, what is it you need to say...” She says, pushing me away from her so she could see my face. “You always give me a long hug when something is wrong.”

I gulp and look down. “Well… The Professor asked me and Edioutt to continue and collect information on pokémon with the pokédex...”

“Wow. Professor Rowan asked you to do something that big.” She says, looking pale. “That’s how your father died… Looking for rare pokémon and trying to find a pokémon that could solve our issues and make life more peaceful. I don’t want you to go.” She says sternly.

“I know Mom but Edioutt is already out there. I want to do this. I don’t know why but I want to do it.” My mom sighed and shook her head.

“And I can’t stop you from doing it. You would just sneak out. God this is going to kill me” She says with a groan. “Ok dear, you can do it... Your mom's got your back. Just.. take this… Please Zorala” She said, handing me a journal. “Use it to record your journey. I know it sounds silly but I think it will keep you sane in this crazy world.” She said as I took the journal and put it away. I wrap my hands around her and pull her into a hug.

“I’ll be safe mom. I promise.” I say, feeling a rather large lump of guilt in my throat.

“Hi sorry is Edioutt here?” I hear a voice ask. I turn to see Edioutts mom standing in the doorway.

"Oh? No, he's not..." My mom replies, causing Edioutts mom to hold her head in frustration.

“That kid will be the death of me. I have a package for him that got delivered. I… I know he is going on an adventure but he needs this or he will get lost or…”

"Not to worry, Zorala will deliver that to him. Won't you, ?" My mom asked, causing me to nod. Edioutts mom quickly thanked me and handed me the package before leaving.

“Okay Zorala. You should probably head out. The sooner you leave the less likely I am to stop you. Just promise you will stay safe?” She asks, sitting down on the couch.

“I will. Love you mom.” I say, walking out the door.

“Love you too” She replies back quietly as I close the door. As soon as I do, I can hear the sobs. I swallow, the guilt growing inside me as I walk towards the gate of the town, passing Paul. The said trainer tending to his injured Heracross. I gulp as I head towards Route 202, ready to finally enter a new environment but nervous at the steady reminder how much was at risk every time I encountered a Pokémon. Somehow though, I knew I was ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter but earlier posting so... Yay!!! I would have added more but I felt this section was a better spot to stop at. Plus the way I caught Skye was funny. I wasn't thinking and just threw the premier ball and it caught at full health. So I thought adding in Skye wanting to be part of the party would be a cool addition. Anyway, again I hope you enjoyed reading. Also just because I thought it might be a good idea, I’m listing my Pokémon’s levels below as well as their genders. I’ll also add in any new characters pokémon levels and information. Please give kudos and comment. Thanks again!
> 
> Zorala’s Team  
> Atlas, Level 7 (Male) - Turtwig  
> Skye, Level 4 (Female) - Starly
> 
> Paul’s Team  
> Noctowl, Level 22 (Male)   
> Heracross, Level 10 (Male)  
> Riolu, Level 6 (Female)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my written out version of my Pokémon Platinum Nuzlocke. I have only completed one Nuzlocke before, Pokémon X where I drew every Pokémon I caught. This time I thought it might be interesting to write it out. If people are enjoying reading my Nuzlocke challenge, I might replay Pokémon X with the Nuzlocke again and Pokémon White if I finish Platinum. I am a student in university so updates might be sparingly but I hope you stick around for the ride and feel the heartbreaks I will feel. Fair warning I am not an English major so any spelling mistakes and grammar issues is just my stupidity. If you spot one please comment so I can fix it. I will also be checking as well but any feedback is cherished. Also yes I named my rival Edioutt. I didn't like Barry and I find that the rival in this.... is an idiot so if the shoe fits....


End file.
